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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27959966">your body's a message</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/laikaspeaks/pseuds/laikaspeaks'>laikaspeaks</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, F/F, Gun Violence, Organized Crime, Sensuality</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:22:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,540</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27959966</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/laikaspeaks/pseuds/laikaspeaks</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rapunzel "Zel" der Sonne is the pampered princess of a crime syndicate, known as much for her capricious temperament as the strange magic she possesses. Her plans to murder Cassandra, the heir of a rival organization, end up a little derailed.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cassandra/Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>155</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/tovanori/gifts">tovanori</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/723467">Dark Sun Mafia</a> by tovanori.
        </li>

    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zel hummed to herself, sparks of gold flickering down the length of her black hair with the electric, hypnotic shimmer of a severed power line. She was all black and gold - a fit, bronzed body in a black dress that hugged every curve, a trail of long black hair and eyes that were sparks of gold swimming in a pool of ink. Some thought that der Sonne’s princess was possessed by a spirit of fire, but up close Cassandra couldn’t see it. She’d seen people with fire spirits bound to their bodies... if you could still call them people. They were little more than walking kindling, all blackened flesh and hands that grasped blindly for the next thing to set ablaze. </p><p>Perhaps Zel der Sonne was as unhinged as the rumors implied, but she certainly wasn’t a husk consumed by her magic.</p><p>She turned back to Cass, and her eyes glinted with sadistic glee as they roved over Cassandra as though she was a work of art. In any other situation it would be enough to make her face heat - the rumors did say Zel was pretty but not <em>this pretty</em> - but considering Cass was on her knees, bound and gagged three feet away from a pit of lye… Well, she had other concerns at the moment.</p><p>“Look at you. You’re the heir to one of the great crime families, and we caught you kneecapping one of our men over a few grand and a stolen watch.” Zel clicked her tongue. “What a waste of talent.”</p><p>One of her golden hands reached out, and Cassandra could feel the radiating heat before Zel even traced the curve of her jaw. The magic clinging close to Zel’s skin roiled like water in a kettle. Even as Cassandra’s mind shrieked an instinctive warning, she registered it was nothing more than residual power. <em>What kind of magic did this girl have? </em></p><p>Zel’s brows drew together in transparent irritation, and her hand withdrew.</p><p>In the place of that searing touch there was the chill of metal dragging against Cassandra’s cheek. Cass almost didn’t have the time to register the gag being ripped away until there was a gun barrel shoved into her mouth in its place. It clacked against her teeth and scraped against the roof of her mouth, just short of making her gag. Clever girl, Cassandra thought in some distant part of her brain. There was no reason for Zel to use her power - especially given that whatever power she possessed had to be unique as a fingerprint. No, the anonymity of cold steel would serve her well. </p><p>Cass was familiar with the smell of gunpowder and oil. It was an entire other thing for it to spread over her tongue, to draw it in with each harried breath, acrid as smoke. She didn’t close her eyes. She couldn’t do it - couldn’t surrender even now. Some stubborn part of herself forced her to meet that glittering stare, to roar her defiance with only her eyes.</p><p>Her heart drummed against her ribs so hard that it hurt. </p><p>Zel had a smattering of freckles over her cheekbones, and her lashes were thick and dark. Her full lips twitched when Cassandra’s eyes dropped to them, curling at one side with what could just as easily be amusement as displeasure. </p><p>
  <em>What the fuck was wrong with Cass?</em>
</p><p>The gun withdrew and Cass gasped for each shaky breath as Zel’s thumb smoothed over her lips. She felt like her blood was boiling.</p><p>
  <em>What the fuck was wrong with her right now?</em>
</p><p>She lifted her eyes again, and found a similar conflict playing on Zel’s face. Whatever Zel saw in Cassandra’s expression, it was clear it made Zel make up her mind.</p><p>It was like a switch flipped. Zel pulled back and settled on a nearby chair, leaning back and crossing one - <em>pretty</em> - leg over the other with a flash of golden skin. She rested her chin on her hand, her dark eyes lingering on Cassandra even from across the room. This was insane. How the hell was Cass in this situation and all she could see was the slow, thoughtful draw of the gun’s barrel over Zel’s lips? </p><p>“Come work for me.”</p><p>What.</p><p>“Uh - run that by me again?” Cassandra croaked.</p><p>“Your mother treats you like dumb muscle, Cassandra. Do you think that <em>I</em> would end up here?” Zel gestured at the empty warehouse. A rat skittered by as if to make her point. “You’re more than a pawn. I can see it. You could be a knight. You could rule the board if you were brave enough.”</p><p>“What, not a queen?” Cass managed to inject a little sarcasm into her voice, despite the traitorous way her body still shook. So Zel was a little bit right - her mother refused to train her to be the next leader of the family. Put her off with an endless stream of excuses. Yet she was apparently willing to send her on jobs that ended up here: in an empty warehouse, where no one could hear Cass scream. It didn’t mean Zel’s offer was real. If Cassandra was going to die she wanted it to be with a scrap of honor, not scrabbling for a false hope.</p><p>“Oh no, Cassandra,” Zel hummed, those playful little sparks flitting over her skin, making Cassandra’s mouth go dry for reasons she didn’t understand, “<em>I’m</em> the queen, silly.”</p><p>Well, there was the catch. </p><p>“That sounds like the same shit, different boss. Why should I throw away my family so I can spend my time cracking heads like always? Maybe I want to do my own shit without someone telling me what to do.” </p><p>“For one? It’s hard to do ‘your own shit’ if you’re dead. For another? Knights and pawns do the same work, Cassandra. Do you know the difference?” Zel leaned in eagerly, a smile playing on her lips. “Power. Prestige. Respect. That’s the only difference between the two. You can have that and more with me.”</p><p>Cass snorted, twisting her numb wrists in their bonds. A bead of sweat ran down her back. “You can have all this <em>and a new car</em>. What’s in it for you, princess?” </p><p>Zel smirked, turning her head without breaking eye contact. Pressed her lips against the side of the gun with almost playful suggestiveness. “What can I say? I have a weakness for smartmouthed girls with pretty eyes.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A few weeks after Cassandra signed on to the der Sonne operation.</p><hr/><p><br/>“I’m starting to sense a theme here.” Cass muttered, obediently lifting her chin a little as Zel held up one tie and then another. The ties were in various fabrics, but all were in shades of blue. Her waistcoat was also blue, with embroidered flowers that were a shade darker than the fabric, layered over a black, fitted button-up shirt.</p><p>“Blue suits your eyes.” Zel hummed, sparks flickering at her fingertips as they smoothed over Cassandra’s chest. The sparks left a slight warmth where they sank through the fabric, but left no mark or pain as they faded, Cassandra noted.</p><p>Zel was a mystery in more ways than one.</p><p>The more powerful the magic a person could wield, the more it marked the user. Some - like Cassandra’s mother, Gothel - got pretty good at hiding it. Cassandra preferred baring her teeth for all to see, and the blue glow to her eyes and hair was one way to let others know she wasn’t an easy target. These passive changes weren’t the same as actively doing magic at all times. </p><p>Magic took focus, clarity of purpose, and strength of will. Without one or more of those things the user could melt away like so much smoke, subsumed by the very forces they tried to harness. For Zel to constantly hum with power - it was like burning without being consumed.</p><p>She had plenty of time to think about it while Zel added the finishing touches. A pair of cuff links set with blue, flashy stones, and eye makeup and scarlet lipstick applied with steady, careful hands. </p><p>“There,” Zel said finally, drawing back and pulling Cassandra up to her feet in the same motion. She turned Cass to face the mirror, bouncing on her toes with obvious pride. <br/> <br/>Until Cassandra’s abrupt career change her budget was fairly tight, and to be frank she blew it all on weapons most of the time. She always thought that clothes were just clothes, and if she wasn’t slouching around in a hoodie and jeans she was wearing the cheapest possible suit that wouldn’t make her mother throw a fit. </p><p>The tailored shirt showed off the breadth of her shoulders and strong arms; the suit pants trimmed just right to accentuate the flare of her hips. Part of Cass expected to rankle and chafe at Zel’s gall for imposing a wardrobe change. Instead of the imposter she expected, she saw an alluring stranger with smokey eyes and a blood-red smile. </p><p>“Damn. You sure you don’t moonlight as a stylist, Zel?” Vanity left a sour taste in her mouth, but she tilted her head this way and that anyway.</p><p>"For sports cars you can only go German," Zel circled around to weave Cassandra's tie in and over in complicated patterns, then drew it up around her throat. The knot was more precise than Cass expected from Zel, "For a pretty girl like you, the only answer is an Italian suit."</p><p>Cass couldn't quite summon her usual sarcasm over the heat rising in her ears. If it were anyone else on earth she would just scoff and move on, but Zel had a way of making every compliment sound genuine. There was a breathlessness to her voice, a weight to her gaze.</p><p>Zel helped Cass shrug into her jacket, then stepped back to survey her work. For once her sly expression dropped for one of open delight. Zel clapped her hands together, sparks flickering between her palms like flint striking steel. "Oh, yes. This will do nicely."</p><p>She planted her hands on Cassandra’s shoulders. Cass was already well trained; she held her arms out just as Zel hitched herself up, looping one arm around Zel’s shoulders and the other under Zel’s bare legs. </p><p>Zel, for her part, settled against Cassandra’s shoulder with a happy sigh. “How is that?”</p><p>“Apparently I’ve been hired to carry a spoiled cat around all day.” Cassandra chuckled against the top of Zel’s head. “I’m feeling pretty good. How about her highness?”</p><p>The spoiled cat in question lounged back in Cassandra’s arms to smirk up at her, seemingly unconcerned with whether or not she would fall. “The suit, handsome. Is it comfortable like this?” </p><p>The sudden rush of heat up the back of her neck aside, it was. Cass always thought of suits as constraining, hot, and itchy, but this one was cool and comfortable. There wasn’t the tightness around the shoulders she expected, even with the extra stretch of holding Zel like this. She never understood how people wore them all day until this moment. “It’s comfortable.”</p><p>“That’s the power of a bespoke suit.” Zel grinned and punched the air in victory. “I knew you would like it.”</p><p>Well. That was unfairly cute. </p><p>It wasn’t as if Cassandra had never been attracted to a woman before - hell, it wasn’t even the first time it was mutual. But when Zel returned her gaze to Cassandra’s face the look that passed between them turned the air electric, and Zel’s thumb sliding against her cheek sent static noise rushing up every nerve ending. </p><p>“This is a hell of a signing bonus.” Cass murmured, leaning in before she could think better of it. </p><p>Zel was a tactile person. Her hands followed her eyes, and her eyes dropped to Cassandra’s lips. Which meant her fingers were tracing the shape of Cassandra’s mouth. “Wait until you see the company car.” </p><p>Cass felt a grin tug at her lips. "You want to show me now?"<br/><br/>"Oh," Zel flashed her a smile in return, "you have no idea."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Surprise! There is no drama here, only thirsty gays.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Everyone had a price. Zel learned that as a child, when one of her favorite bodyguards nearly murdered her with an icepick smuggled into her hotel room by a maid. To this day she remembered the exact number that bought her life. So she took care to know her men well - their worries and wishes, their desires and fears. Their price.</p><p>Zel turned in bed to face Cassandra's bare back, taking in her dark, tousled curls and toned shoulders. Even in the light of early morning a handful of scars stood out in sharp contrast to her pale skin. Cassandra was easy enough. The desire for power could be dangerous of course, but it could be managed. Especially when tempered by Cassandra's tender heart - for all her ambition she was too loyal, too soft to survive in this business on her own. All the same she was capable and obedient, practically built to be a second in command. Gothel had no idea what she had in her hands. The bitch. </p><p>After a long time watching Cass breathing Zel inched close enough to mold against Cassandra's back, curling an arm under Cassandra's and pressing her forehead into the space between the other woman's shoulder blades. She could feel that loyal heart beating steadily under her palm, the sharp line of a collarbone under the pad of her thumb.<br/><br/>Zel started humming. The same melody that had been with her since the moment she was born. Sparks of her magic flickered from her fingertips, sinking into pale skin and down into the tangle of blood and bone. If she had to describe what she was doing... it was like echolocation. Not seeing, not feeling, but some ill-defined picture that took shape in her head. </p><p>She could feel the arched cathedral of Cassandra's ribs, the pounding river of her blood, the thunder of her heart in Zel's mouth. There was the familiar electric blaze of nerves damaged by old wounds, and the round-stone-dull pain of knuckles cracked in too many bare-handed fights, but those were slowly knitting together under her frequent attentions. All was as it should be, except for the broken-blooming of certain bruises that gave Zel a rush of satisfaction. </p><p>Even so, she pressed her lips to the top of Cassandra's spine, channeling a little of her magic as she did. Just enough to soothe the aches of old wounds. Cassandra shifted, then turned just enough to peer over her shoulder, and Zel watched the warm affection dawn in her dark eyes. "Morning."</p><p>"Morning," Zel murmured, cursing the heat rising in her face. She spent so much time focusing on outside threats, she didn't consider thinking of her own price. </p><p>Cass turned over and tugged Zel until she was tucked firmly against Cassandra's chest. Cassandra's callused hand smoothed down the line of Zel's spine and back up again. Damn Cass for figuring out her weakness. Damn Cass for breaking the trick out every chance she got, just to watch with an amused grin while Zel melted under her hands. Zel would happily drown in that soft gaze, happily murder anyone who dared threaten that sweet smile.</p><p>Damn herself, for being bought so cheaply.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry if you guys expected a consistent chapter length or an actual storyline.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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